This morning, we dropped our bags off at the hotel
lobby and walked to a restaurant to eat breakfast with Beaulu. She ate dinner
with us last Friday and went to Columbia University for the Ivy League Connection
several years ago. She really enjoyed her experience at Columbia when she went
in the summer of her junior year, but the feeling was different when she came
to Columbia after high school. It was difficult getting used to not getting
enough space in general. Walking in the streets, driving in the traffic, coping
with a roommate with mental problems, and other things was something that she
had to deal with once she got to New York. She was so stuck on the Ivy League
name that she didn’t realize what she was getting herself into. She wants us to
do lots of research about our choices for college before making our decision.
Although the school name will give you advantages, it really depends on the
type of experience you get.
Beaulu didn’t stay in California because she felt
like the people there were very racist and sexist. She came to New York, where
a lot of activists protest to get their word out. The opportunities that she
got at Columbia University make her who she is right now so she isn’t completely
sad that she came to New York. Despite the challenges Beaulu faced in a busy
city, there were privileges to being a student at Columbia University such as
being able to get front row tickets to a musical.
There is a story about how the original library at
Columbia University moved into a different building. The original library had
too many books so they took books to another building with a slide. I thought
that it was interesting how every school seems to have a story that is probably
not true. For an example, there is a place at Brown University where you “get
pregnant” if you step on the stone.
As Beaulu was showing us the campus, I noticed that
she was actually never good at being a tour guide. I told her this and she told
me that she is actually a tour guide for Columbia University. She seems so
involved with the school by volunteering and speaking for her rights. Her
involvement with her community makes me feel like I should take a stand for
what I believe in too. The opportunities that she got at Brown make her the
person that she is today.
On the train ride back to Providence Rhode Island
from New York, Thao was sitting one seat behind me and she was talking to an
old lady who was sitting next to her. The lady with only a few teeth left told
Thao some of her life stories that lead up to right now. Thao wanted the lady
to repeat what she told her to me because Thao thought that it was too much of
an amazing story to be left alone. The lady said that everything we hear right
now might be easily forgotten but we will suddenly remember it in the future.
It may not be the full story, but enough to inspire.
As soon as we got to Rhode Island, we walked to our
hotel and got ready for our fancy dinner with current and graduate students of
Brown University. Dean Almandrez and
Kisa were also there with us. I actually missed both of them because they
taught me so much in such a short amount of time. No one has ever been a better
influence than them.
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